“Many states have banned gender-affirming care for minors, LGBTQ books in school libraries, transgender girls in sports, and the ability to even discuss gender identity or sexual orientation at school. These dehumanizing laws and the dangerous rhetoric they have stirred have shown us that the federal government must step in now to protect LGBTQ youth. Nondiscrimination protections are a powerful step. The introduction of the Equality Act during Pride Month sends a strong message that our civil rights are inextricably linked to queer and trans joy.” - Amber Barcel, Director of Public Policy, Advocates for Youth

Advocates for Youth, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring young people’s reproductive and sexual health and rights, continues its work on racial justice by launching a series of educational modules created in partnership with SisterReach. Advocates for Youth and SisterReach, along with other key experts and thought-leaders in the field, have created free, fully online e-learning modules to address issues of racial justice in sex education.

Advocates for Youth (Advocates) seeks a Youth Activist Alliance Lead Organizer to lead, shape and generate a movement of young people across the country ready to take action and organize for reproductive justice!

Advocates for Youth applauds Representative Pramila Jayapal for introducing a resolution to support Sex Ed for All Month, and Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Cory Booker and Representatives Barbara Lee and Alma Adams for introducing the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act (REAHYA). REAHYA would provide the first-ever federal funding for comprehensive sex education, as well as for youth-friendly sexual health services.

Advocates for Youth is deeply proud to work with a network of young people across the country, including in North Carolina, who are working to ensure everyone has access to the abortion care they need when they need it. Lawmakers working to force through harmful bans and restrictions are severely out of touch with the millions of young people who support abortion access, who have watched as bans stripped pregnant people of their autonomy and endangered their health and lives.

Advocates for Youth staff were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Tiffany Marrero, an activist and storyteller whose spirit, passion, and work touched many lives. Armonte Butler and Louie Ortiz-Fonseca shared these reflections.